Ukraine in NATO: Rutte signals if decision could come soon
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Getty Images)
Ukraine’s NATO membership is unlikely to be decided in the short term due to a lack of political consensus among allies, stated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Secretary General’s position
The NATO chief stressed that Ukraine’s accession is not currently at the stage of active political discussion.
According to him, there are differing views among member states on the pace of the process.
"I don't think we will be able, collectively, to solve that NATO membership in the short term. I don't think it will happen politically. I think that's a fair assessment," Rutte said.
He noted that among the countries slowing Ukraine’s rapid progress toward the Alliance are Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States.
Ukraine’s path to NATO
Ukraine’s ambassador to NATO, Alyona Getmanchuk, recently said that the number of member states opposing Ukraine’s accession is now the lowest in history.
At the same time, Estonia has emphasized that Europe itself needs security guarantees from Ukraine, as the Ukrainian army is the strongest in the region, and that now is a "historic momentum" for integration.
In addition, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously stated that Russia has no veto over Ukraine’s accession to the Alliance, despite any attempts by the Kremlin to influence the process through peace agreements.
